Moistening device.



R. I.. wrGHTMAN'aL w. B. PowELL.

MOISTENING DEVICE. APPLICATION EILED Mms, 191.3.

Patented May18,91915.

.lN TORS: ,0 l

ORNEY t ywlTNEssI-:sy jg E c ff s'rA'rEs PATENT onirica.'v

ROBERT a'. WIGHTMAN, or NEWARK, AND WILLIAM B. POWELL, or nasi: ORANGE,

NEW JERSEY. I

MOISTNING DEVICE.

Specieation of Letters Patent. i PatentedMay 148, 1915.

Application med January 8, 1913. Serial No. 740,798.

To'all ui/om t may concern:

Be it known that we, ROBERT J. WIGH'I- .MAN and VILLIAM B. POWELL, citizens of the United States, residing at Newark and East Orange, respectively, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Moistening Devicesg-and we do hereby declare the following to be a full,.

clear, and eXact description' of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, .reference being had to the accompanying drawing, and to figures of reference marked'thereon, which forms a part of this specification. a

This invention relates to a moistening device which is `adapted to provide an absorbent pad, such as a sponge, which is mounted on a suitable backing, the backing in turn being adapted to be placed on' the back of the hand of the user and to be detachably secured to the hand so that it does not interfere with the use of the fingers on both hands and can be carried about by the user.. Such moistening device is adapted for use by postal clerks, clerks in banks, clerks who are engaged in filing, and in numerous other positions where a moistening of the lingers is a constant necessity, which moi'stening is diiicult ii the clerk is not in a stationary position, but must move about with papers.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in .Which- Figure l is a perspective view of a hand vshowing the moistener in place On the'back of it. Fig. 2 is a section through the moistening device shown in Fig. 1. Fig. -3 is a modified vform of construction, and Fig. 4 is a still further modified form of construction. Fig. 5 shows a modied form of fastening means.

In the form shown in Figs.A 1 and 2 we provide an absorbent pad 10 which may be a made-up pad, or it can be a sponge as shown, the absorbent pad being placed in'a 4cup 11, which cup has 'a marginal rim so as to confine some water, the cup sitting. on a strip 12, the cup and the strip together forming a backing for the pad 10. The sponge can be secured to the hacking in any way. but we 'prefer to doit as shown in Fig. 2 which illustrates a staple 13 which is driven 'through the backing and into the sponge, having its ends clenched in the 'form tothe back of .the hand and sponge so that the whole device isfse-cure. Any required number of staples 13 can be used. The strip v12 is somewhat lexlble 4so that it conforms better to the back of the y hand, the ends of the strip being secured to a band 14 which can be a strap withfastening means, such as a buckle, or it can be as shown in the drawing, comprising an elastic band which can be snapped over the hand and which holds itself in place by its elas-V ticity. The backing, particularly the cup 11, is made of material that is impervious to Water, the preferred material being light,

such as Celluloid, and similar materials, and

we may also make the backing of metal.`

In Fig. 3 we show the pad lO'placedin a cup 15 with marginal lianges, the cup itself being provided, at opposite sides, with means for securing ends of the band 16, which is preferably an velastic band, although it may be a band or strap with fastening means attached.

In Fig. 4 is illustrated the pad 10 lmounted on a strip 17 which is simply 'a iat strip without a' marginal bead, the strip forming the backing being provided with a band18 for securing it to the band. The' backing-f.

in that it -permits the I noistening--of the y sponge whilefit is on-the hand WithoutWet- -4 ting the hand, since any slight amount of vexcess Water vwhich would not be at once ab-v sorbed by the sponge would be retainedby the cup until the sponge was pressed once orA twice until its capillary attraction Wouldbe increased.

In Fig. 5 we show aclamp or holder-.12;- ,made of a band of spring material, as imeta'l,l

which can be easily slipped or snapped over f the. hand'A to hold the backing and pad in place. We show a band that is not continuous, but other forms. can be used.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is los A moistening device comprising abroad f thin strip of material liexible enoughto conmately as long as'the width of the hand,'an

appromlo n v mseseee open cup substantieiiy centrally errenged ing, We have hereunto set ourhends this en the strip, the cup having e Verticel mar- 28th dey of December, 1912. Y ginei rim, n fastening means arranged sub- RGBERT J GHTMAN stantieiiy central of the cup and securing it LLAM @WELL 5 ne the ssi'ip, e eompressible absorbent pad' arranged in the cup, and e fastening means Witnesses: connecting the ends of nhe strip. 'Wn/ i. H. e CAMFmLD, n testimony, that, We claim the forego- M. AQ JoHNsoN. 

